


spice

by stardustgirl



Series: AU of an AU [13]
Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: AU of an AU, Angst, Drug Use, Drug Use by a Minor, Ezra Bridger Needs a Hug, Ezra Uses Spice, Hurt Ezra Bridger, Imperial AU, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kallus as a Father Figure, Sick Ezra Bridger, So much angst, Space Dad!Kallus, Spice, Whumptober, Whumptober 2018
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-18
Packaged: 2019-08-03 18:33:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16331342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardustgirl/pseuds/stardustgirl
Summary: Ezra's experiences with spice.





	1. thirteen (the first time)

**Author's Note:**

> this will be a three-parter I think but we shall see
> 
> TW: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Drug Use by a Minor

The first time Ezra tried spice, he was thirteen.

He’d run from his most recent foster, trying to find a transport so he could hitchhike back to Capital City and the Imperial Complex.  There was a faint rainfall, but the chill that pervaded the air reached far deeper into his bones. He shivered, wishing he hadn’t left the house then and had waited until there wasn’t someone who could’ve torn his shirt as he bolted, even if it would’ve cost him.

A man had approached him and at first he’d shied away.  The man raised a placating hand and Ezra swallowed, taking a step forward cautiously, though he remained ready to run at the first sign of danger.

“Relax, kid.  Just wondering if you wanted some credits.”

He tensed, preparing to run.

“It’s nothing like that.  Just some deliveries.”

“How many?” he inquired carefully, eyes narrowing.

“A couple.  Not more than three for sure.”

“Alright.”  Ezra brushed his hair out of his eyes, studying the man in the rain.  “Where’s the stuff?”

* * *

 

It only took a few hours before the deliveries were finished.  He returned to the location the man had said, knocking and stepping back to wait.  After several minutes the door opened, revealing the man from before. The man studied him for a moment before finally asking, “Why are you here?”

“I finished.  Came for the credits.”

“Got something better.  Hold on.” The door slammed shut again and Ezra sucked in a breath, glancing behind him.  If he needed to run, he would.

The door opened again and the man handed him something.  It was hard to make out the shape of the object in the dark, but he thought it was—

“Is this spice?” he asked warily.  The man shrugged before nodding.

“It’ll get you further on this karkhole than credits ever will.  Or you can take it yourself.” He shrugged again. “Your choice, kid.”  The door slammed shut and he let out a cry of frustration.

Whatever the man said, Ezra was well aware spice wouldn’t buy his way out of Systems.  Not if Kallus was aware he’d try something like that.

And the spice dealers in the area were notorious for dealing in other things, too.  He didn’t know much about the dealers in Capital City, but expected it was a similar enough situation, not to mention the fact that if he got caught with some by Systems, who knew what would happen.

The caretaker wouldn’t like it.

Ezra had heard enough about spice to have formed a pretty good idea of what it was like.  Still, he had always avoided it.

But at this point, he was too cold and tired to care.

“Kriff it,” he muttered, pulling it out.  If his foster found him, he didn’t even care at this point.

* * *

 

When Kallus found him three days later, stumbling into the Complex, the agent wasn’t surprised to see that Ezra had run from his foster again.

He  _ was _ surprised, however, that though the child did have the bruises he had expected, he nearly passed out upon seeing Kallus, though he couldn’t find an outward reason.

A brief examination by the med droid revealed the issue.

“The patient appears to have traces of spice remaining in his bloodstream.  Along with that, there is evidence of what could potentially be a concussion.  He must be conscious to fully be able to determine that.”

Kallus nodded in thought, staring at the now-sedated boy.  Ezra twitched, mumbling something quietly before sniffing, and the agent turned back to the droid.  “How long before he regains consciousness?”

“The sedatives should wear off in about ten minutes.”

He nodded again, sitting down to wait as he pulled out his datapad.  Just as the droid had predicted, Ezra soon began mumbling more and moving, turning onto his side.  It took longer than ten minutes for the boy to fully regain consciousness but once he did, he turned over to see Kallus.

“Ezra?”

“Yeah.”  He sounded tired, slightly in pain.  Kallus tried to keep his voice level as he continued.

“Do you remember what happened before you passed out?”

The boy hesitated before shaking his head.  “No, not- not what caused it.”

“Do you remember doing spice?”

Ezra’s pause was enough to prove him a liar as he shook his head again, wincing as he sat up.  “No.”

“I think we both know that’s a lie, Ezra.”

The boy looked away quickly, letting the silence stretch out before he almost seemed to deflate as he finally responded.  “Yeah. I- I did spice.”

“Why?  I’m just curious.”

“I- I did a job for someone.  Said he’d- he’d give me credits.  Gave me spice instead.”

The boy almost sounded defeated and something twisted in his gut.  “And you didn’t think to sell it? You’re smart. It surprises me that you didn’t.”

He laughed softly.  “You ever been to anything out in Eastern Rim?”  The agent was about to respond, saying that he hadn’t, but it must have been a rhetorical question because Ezra continued.  “Wasn’t safe for me to try.”

“And...how did you meet the man who gave you the spice?”

He seemed to wince inwardly, unrestrained hand moving to his neck.  “I...was out walking.”

“And the hole in your shirt?”

He swallowed, eyes flicking down.  “Ran into some trouble before I left.”

Kallus only nodded, deciding based on the boy’s reaction that it was better not to press.  He rose. “Alright, I have a meeting. I’ll stop by later, if you’re still here.”

Ezra glanced up, blinking, his expression confused.  “You...aren’t gonna tell me not to do spice or anything like that?”

“I think you’ll make that decision for yourself.”  He felt the boy’s gaze follow him, even as he left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one fulfills the "drugged," "concussion," "bruises," and (kind of) the "exhaustion" Whumptober prompts.


	2. fifteen (the second time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied Drug Use by a Minor

He was fifteen the second time, he had just failed the entrance exams for the Academy, he was young, he was angry, and he had let down the only person who still cared.

He knew he didn’t have a chance at making it after leaving Systems, especially after failing the exams. He knew it was the best to not enter the Academy; he just... _knew._

That didn’t make Kallus’s expression of disappointment any easier to bear.

Ezra forced himself not to flinch under his gaze, and as soon as he was free to go, he left the Complex through one of the back ways.

They found him a couple days later when he stumbled into the front entrance of the Systems (he wouldn’t have done something that had such a high risk of getting him caught normally), higher than the old communications tower.

He got another lecture after that.


End file.
